Clinton Cabinet Member Sought Iraq Provocation - But W. Himself Proposed Ruse (Juan Cole)

[kpete]

Clinton Cabinet Member Sought Iraq Provocation
But W. Himself Proposed Ruse
Posted on October 17, 2010 by Juan


Retired Gen. Hugh Shelton reveals in his new book http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/10/15/clinton_official_iraq_hugh_shelton?? that in the late 1990s a Clinton cabinet member asked him if was possible to fly a U2 spy plane low enough over Iraq to get it shot down, thus creating a pretext for the US to take out Saddam Hussein. The general says he was outraged at the idea of sacrificing a pilot’s life in that way and told the cabinet member off.

But note that there is no evidence that Bill Clinton himself approved of the cabinet member’s hideous suggestion, and clearly Clinton was not interested in getting up a war against Iraq.

In contrast, George W. Bush and British PM Tony Blair in January of 2003 considered having a plane painted in UN colors and having it fly low over Iraq http://www.juancole.com/2006/02/george-gen.html in hopes it would be fired on, so as to create a pretext for an Anglo-American war on Iraq. This time the wild schemes were coming from the commander in chief, not a mere cabinet member, and he even decided he just did not need any UN authorization to go to war.

http://www.juancole.com/2010/10/clinton-cabinet-member-sought-iraq-provocation-but-w-himself-sought-provocation.html

[G_j]

1. my rec didn't register, but anyway..

more crimes that will go un-investigated, unpunished..

[Billy Burnett]

2. A variation of Operation Northwoods.

U.S. Military Drafted Plans to Terrorize U.S. Cities to Provoke War With Cuba
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=92662&page=1

In the early 1960s, America's top military leaders reportedly drafted plans to kill innocent people and commit acts of terrorism in U.S. cities to create public support for a war against Cuba.

Code named Operation Northwoods, the plans reportedly included the possible assassination of Cuban émigrés, sinking boats of Cuban refugees on the high seas, hijacking planes, blowing up a U.S. ship, and even orchestrating violent terrorism in U.S. cities.

The plans were developed as ways to trick the American public and the international community into supporting a war to oust Cuba's then new leader, communist Fidel Castro.

America's top military brass even contemplated causing U.S. military casualties, writing: "We could blow up a U.S. ship in Guantanamo Bay and blame Cuba," and, "casualty lists in U.S. newspapers would cause a helpful wave of national indignation.

[Canuckistanian]

3. I never saw how this plan would work, anyways

Does the UN have it's own spy planes? I don't think they have ANY warplanes at all. And even if they did, they wouldn't be painted "UN blue".

There would be IMMEDIATE and vociferous denials from UN officials and member countries who would insist that they NEVER authorized spying.

The whole thing sounds like a failed cartoon plot.

[TheDebbieDee]

4. I think the real issue is this: The Clinton Administration didn't take the bait!